The Last String

|12| Lost in the moment

|12| Lost in the moment

I can recall countless things that I’ve been awarded but I’ve no one else to talk to aside from my grandma. She’d bake me cookies and tell me how good I am, showered me with her compliments, and hugged me tight. I was always alone and victory tasted bittersweet in my tongue.

But the thing is, everything is different now. 

“Damn girl you were on fire! Congratulations!” Maria said, clutching a bouquet of flowers on her hand while sporting the red and white cheerleading uniform with her hair tied into a high ponytail. Beside her is Gavin who’s holding a bouquet too in his red letterman jacket, white fitted shirt, and black jeans. His smug smile was plastered on his face and I can’t help but to frown every time he does that. He gets annoyingly cute in my eyes and I hate it. 

“That roundhouse kick was awesome! Teach me your ways, senpai!” Maria kidded using the line she saw on the internet. I shook my head like I’m so done with her. She was teasing me nonstop and telling how cool I was during the whole competition and honestly she’s a handful. Luckily, the person who can shut her up came with a lazy smirk on his face. 

“Cat got your tongue, Maria?” I asked in my still monotonous bored voice. I’m still struggling to bring my emotions out without programming myself to act. They’re fine with it, tho and Maria’s always ecstatic when I reply back to her even with with a little sarcasm. I guess that part of me won’t get away anytime soon. 

“Congrats man,” Gavin gave Taehyung a fist bump and a pat on his shoulder before smirking knowingly. Gavin then turned to me and gave me the bouquet with a smile.

“Congrats, Sera.” He said and tousled my mess of a hair.

“Are those flowers for me? Aww, thanks babe!” Taehyung puckered his lips to annoy Maria and the latter slammed the bouquet to his chest while looking away with her ears heated red. 

“Babe your face!” Maria muttered. 

The first day of the weeklong sports festival started with a short program organized by the sports club in which Taehyung is the President. 

Being the club president of the Takewondo club and the Sports Club was not easy because he had to juggle his time training and preparing for the event. Taehyung was so eager to make this event successful and with all the things that he needed to do, he’s so stressed and I’ve never seen him like that before. With the successful opening today, I can now see him relax a little bit.

“Basketball league will be tomorrow. For now let us freshen up first and I’ll show you around,” Taehyung said with a proud grin on his face. Aside from the competitions, there are a lot of pop-up stores in the field mainly sport brands selling their products. Taehyung has been bragging that to me for the past weeks because according to him, it has never happened before.

“I also have them made a limited edition products just for this sports festival. That’s how great I am,” Taehyung said as we meet Gavin and Maria again after we freshened up. For the whole week, we’re allowed to dress up in civilian clothes but if you’re participating in an event, the team uniforms which are provided are needed to be worn during the games. 

Dressed in Dior green checkered dress and white Prada heels with her Hermes white hand bag, Maria waved at me like a model. Her outfit cost a fortune. Wow. I mean yeah I get to wear branded clothes to but seeing Maria wearing them they looked even more expensive than they actually were. 

“Chanel looks good on you,” Maria smirked as she surveyed my outfit for today. 

Mom has been sending me designer clothes lately and that’s like the compensation for not contacting me and for dropping my call the last time I called her. I don’t know if I’d be thankful or not. 

I’m wearing a white and gold Chanel coordinates with white Loubutine heels and a white Chanel handbag. I did my hair in a low ponytail with my simple diamond earrings. Good thing the shower room had blowers available so I’ve dried my hair and fixed my usual make up afterwards with the strongest wing that I can do. 

“The both of you are dressed up like you’re gonna walk in a runway,” Taehyung commented and shook his head. “Can’t you dress more casual tomorrow? I bet you have casual clothes from the luxury brands.” He added. 

Maria raised her eyebrow with her hands on her waist, ready to fight with Taehyung.

Here goes their daily dose of banter. 

“My body, my rules V. I will wear what I want to wear!” Maria gave Taehyung a side eye before scoffing in annoyance. “You don’t go around telling girls what they should wear.” She said with conviction.

Frowning, Taehyung opened up his mouth to talk back. 

“I’m not restricting you with your choice of clothes cos I was just merely suggesting!?” Taehyung ruffled his hair and looked away. 

“Just tell her the reason already,” I said almost rolling my eyes. Taehyung’s reason is crystal clear and anyone who hears his words will come up with the same conclusion as I do. 

“Reason? I don’t have any!” Taehyung, looking flustered for a bit, replied. I looked at him flatly and he avoided my stares. Really huh? 

“My cousin is pretty and you can’t do anything to make those boys look away,” Gavin said nonchalantly and draped his arms protectively around me. He’s the one to talk, huh? 

“They’re not gonna steal your babe away from you because you won’t let them so snap out of it. I’m hungry,” I said. 

Maria’s eyes widened in shock while Taehyung’s lips formed a smirk. “Thanks Finn, I needed that.” He said laughingly. 

Whipped.

***

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I mumbled in awe, raising my eyebrow in the process. “You’ve set up an arcade center, really?” 

“Well, not all students are athletic,” he said nonchalantly but with a proud smirk on his face. This korean dude has been suprising us, huh? 

Taehyung turned the ballroom hall into an arcade space. It really looks like the legit arcade centers that you can see at the malls! This must’ve cost a fortune! I wonder how much was the budget for this sports fest. Damn. This alone would cost a hefty amount of money. 

“I got us some rfid loaded with money. You’re welcome,” he said and distributed the cards to us. I almost arch my brows when I saw that it’s personalized, with my name on it together with the school’s logo.

“This is actually in partnership with an arcade company so we can still use these cards outside to play.” Taehyung said and walked ahead of us. 

“How about a bet, Sera?” Gavin whispered and I saw how his eyebrow wiggled and I slightly frowned in disbelief. Sure he looked cute and all but it’s not so like him. 

Now I know what they felt when I acted out of my character when I decided to be real all of a sudden. 

“The one with the most number of tickets will win. The winner gets a wish. Call?” I hate that smug look on his face. He looks so confident, huh? 

“How many times have you played arcade?” I asked as we walk following Maria and Taehyung who were, yet again, bantering over some petty matters like always. 

“Just a couple of time but I say that I’m good,” he said shrugging like it was nothing. I shook my head and hid the small smile escaping from my lips. He sounds so arrogant but he just played it for just couple of times? How good is he for him to say that? 

“How about we start with that?” I pointed him a video game machine. 

His forehead creased. Maybe he didn’t expect that I’d point the Tekken game. 

“Are you sure? Don’t be a sore loser cos I’m not and I’m gonna play fair and square with you,” he warned me. I shrugged. Whatever. 

“Don’t worry you’ll be so full after our game,” I said and sat down to start up the game and pick my characters. Gavin did the same and curiously, he asked me. 

“Why’d I be full?” 

“Cos you’ll be eating your own words,” I said with a smirk on my face. 

The game started and ended pretty quickly that his mouth hung wide open and his eyes were almost popping out of his eye sockets. 

Oh, that was it? 

“Are you full?” I asked. 

“I never peg you to be this good,” he said. “I guessed I underestimated you. Beginner’s luck. Tsk.” Gavin added. 

Well, what can I say? The practice from all those days of cutting from school and playing in arcade centers instead have finally paid off. 

We tried several game machines and I can’t help but to laugh every time his face fell off as soon as I defeat his proud a*s off. God! He’s a flop while we’re playing table hockey! 

He said he’s good. Pft. 

“Looks like Wraith is losing, huh?” Maria popped out of nowhere with a corn dog and soda on her hands. It doesn’t go really well with her outfit but whatever. Food is food. Periodt. 

“All my life I thought he’s a Mr. Know-it-all. Boo, Wraith!” Taehyung gave Gavin a thumbs down with a mean smirk plastered on his face. Gavin suddenly turned grumpy like he’s embarrassed. 

“Haven’t I told you?” With a smirk, I fixed my hair to the back of my ear and winked at him. “I’m the arcade queen.”

Gavin scowled more which earned laughs from the three of us. I never thought I would see him acting like a child like this! 

Gavin suddenly smiled which made us halt from laughing. “Why are you smiling like stupid?” I asked. 

“Laughing looks good on you,” he said with his eyes looking straight into my eyes. 

Like in the movies, I felt like everybody stilled with Gavin shining before me. His eyes contains a universe with the star like sparkles it has. 

I was captivated.

I was lost in his eyes. I was lost…in the moment.

Suddenly, my heart beats erratically. My mouth parted a little as I come up with a conclusion. 

Fuck my heart. 

#

end of chapter twelve